OldTools Archive

An admirable goal that I will enjoy seeing progress on.
A tool that I have found very useful on the road (not traveling for me, just for
some of my side jobs) is a trailer hitch receiver and workholding devices that
mount into it. You have probably seen the vise on the back of a power company
truck, and the fold-down platforms for carrying an electric scooter that mount
in a receiver. The vise has been of great use to me, and I can see other
possibilities even where hand tools are involved, if for no other reason than
supporting one end of a bench with the truck makes for an effectively massive
bench with little actual weight, making it easier to move and store.
If you have the head room, you might consider what one contractor I worked
with years ago did (he was nuts.... he fit more in a small van that I could fit
in an 18' box truck, but that is a different issue). He had most of his regular
kit in a slide out tray on long roller slides that came out the back door.
Raised the floor about 6" for a 4" deep tray. Tray came out about 4 feet (long
reach from the side to get least used things... couldn't make it from the back),
with the most used tools (hammer, saws, squares, levels, etc) near the back for
easy access without pulling the tray all of the way out. This allowed him to fit
full sheet goods in the van without fighting. He had a few larger post-steam era
tools in a narrow rack built onto and into the side (swing) doors for easy
access and minimum obstruction. He had nearly the same cargo capacity as if the
van was bare without needing to remove normal kit. Translate cargo capacity to
living space for your plan, and you have a lot of space for planes, chisels,
squares, a full set of hollows and rounds, sharpening station, and so on. Slide
out for access and use, slide in when done. A hinged floor panel lets you get to
select items without opening the doors.
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